Tongs



july 22, 1924 TONGS 2 Sheets-sheet l Filed Feb. 27 1922 fri-1 `uly 22?., 1924. 1,502,356

A. J. SMITH TONGS Filed Feb. 27, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 REVES In@ Hom/sr f' 5M/1H Patented .luly 22, i924.

STATES PATENT ICE'.

TONGS.

Application med February 27, 1922. serial No. 539,795.

To all whom t may concer/nA Be it known that I, AUGUST J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the lcity of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedV certain new and useful Improvements in Tongs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In enameling metal articles such as towel rail supports and other fixtures having aper tured plate supports, considerable difficulty is encountered in handling the heated metal articles to permit the same to be dipped in liquid enamel, sprinkled with powdered ena-mel or dipped in powdered enamel so that powder will adhere to all of the surfaces of the articlesy and be fused thereon without clogging up the screw openings.

This invention relates more particularlyl to improved tongs for handling heated'apertured metal articles which are adapted to have headed pins on the tong jaws inserted into the apertures in the plate supports of the articles to plug the apertures during a dipping process to prevent fused enamel v from fillingr up said apertures.

It isan object of this invention to provide "an improved tong whereby a plurality of heated apertured articles may be handled at the same time. y

It is also an object of the invention to provide tongs whereby a plurality of aper tured heated articles to be enameled may be handled by means of pins on the ,clamping jaws to permit the articles to be dipped without allowing the apertures to become clogged up.

Another object of the invention is the construction of. tongs having an intermediate jaw member adapted to coact with a plurality of outer clamping jaws formed `on spring controlled handle members.

It is furthermore an object of this inven- 4tion to provide tongs whereinia spring controlled pivoted member is provided with a plurality of gripping members adapted to co-act with a plurality of Vmain gripping membersoperable by khandle members controlled by the springs governing the pivoted intermediate member. f

It is an important object of this invention to providey a simple and eective one `hand tool whereby a plurality of apertured articles may be engaged and clamped to permit saidartioles to be handled with ease and dipped to coat all surfaces thereof with the exception of the surfaces forming the apertures.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in theV drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

@n the drawings:

Figur'e l is a top plan view of a heating and enamel baking machine showing a plurality of tongs embodying the principlesy of this invention engaged with a plurality of n aperturedarticlesto be handled.

Figure 2.is a side elevation thereof with the tongs omitted.

Figure 3 is a side view of a pair of tongs engaged with the apertured base platey of an article.

Figure 4 is a topk plan view of the tongs engaging a yplurality of apertured articles to be handled. Y

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the tongs rshowing the handles compressed and the main jaws extended.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7--7 of Figure 4.

As shown, on thedrawings.:

The reference numeral l indicates a heating and yenamel baking oven or furnace h av ing slidable channelrails or bars 2 which, when in projected position, are adapted to be supported on brackets or shelves 3. A box 4 containing a fusible enameling powder'is positioned beneath ythe brackets 3 in an accessibleV position. The slidable rails are adaptedto have a plurality of articles suchr asmetal towel rail supports 5 and the likelto be placed upon the slidable rails 2 with the apertured base plates of said articles resting lon said rails, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. When a rail has a plurality of artices 5 placed thereon, the rail is pushed into the furnace to permit the articles to be heated. After thearticles ,have been sufficiently heated the rail is pulled out Vto permit'the articles to be engaged by the improved tongs. l

v The improved. tQllgS 0f this lWentlQn com formed at right angles. vThe gripping vpin -mediate an enlarged head Vtongs at a time.

is provided with a beveled portion l1 interportion andY are- -duced shank portion. v I Also pivotedonthe .pinb 'isiadever "12 deii'ected lat .13 topositionthe inner y'apertured Y gendthereot in .the plane ot the yhandles i6.

Projecting -through apertures in "the handles 6a-nd through the aperture in the end ofthe lever 12isafbolt 14; -havingtwo *coiled springs 15 engaged therearound vbetween fthe handles 6 and the lever 12. The lever .'12 is deflected toaiord ashoulder 16'whic`hserves to hold thearm 17 ot said vlever disposed inthep'lane ot the handles 6. Integrally formed on 'the outer endof the lever arm isiayoke-,embracing apair o'tclamping arms or jaws 18 onthe'end ot each dt which a gripping ,pin 19 is integrally formed, at right angles. Each pin '19 is provided =with a'beveledpor# tion 2O intermediate an enlarged Ahead portion and a reduced shalikportion. Y

The operation is .as lfollows: 'While the tool or tongs herein described and illustrated may "be adapted for a num-k ber of different purposes, the tongsareparticularly vadaptable for use in handling heated metal articles `to be .enameled 'and having base plates provided withy apertures lfor receiving mounting screws.V The type ot articles herein illustrated are krail or rod holders 5 provided with baseplates having openings or Aapertures therein. 'v

`rFigure 1 illustrates a heating or baking turnacefhaving one ot the s'lidab'le rails 2 pulled out ot the turnacepto afford access to a number of'rail holders '5 which have been lheated in the furnace.. Eac'h pair of tongs YYis adapted to handle two .rail holders ata time. N ormally'the coiled springs '15 act Yto -ho'ld the handles 6 projected outwardly awayv trom one another., as shown in 'Figure ,/1.

The Vtongs are operable byone hand, thereby permitting a persontoconveniently usetwo l/Vith Vthe heated rail holders `5 positioned as shown in Figures' 1 and 4, each pair o'tongs is takenfhold o'tby the'handles 6 and the shank ends of the gripping pins 10 and 18 are projected through then apertures in kthe .base .plates of two .ad- :jacently positioned rail'vho'lders, as illustrated in Figures 4f and '5, so 'that the beveled portions 11 and 20 lofthe .pins 10 and'j19 will yseat lupon reamed or countersunk surfaces olf .the baseplate apertures. The pins thus plug up thebase plate apertures. "Each pair of tongs is adapted to .engagetwo rail holders.YV When the handles 6 are yin eX- tended position each pairjo't the tong pins 10 and `19 `are Yspaced a predetermined distance apart to permit them to be projected through `fthe fopposite 'apertures in each rail holder grip the base plates. "The rail 'holders "5 :may now be lifted tromthe slidefrail Zand dipped'in the enameling `powder in the box 4. (The heated .condition otthe rail holders causes 'the powderf'to adhere 'to `the surfaces df the holders and fuse thereon. 7The rail `Aholders are then -again placed upon the -turnace rail '2, atterwhich thehandles 6 .of

`each pair `ot tongs arereleased vwhereby 'the `Springs 15 act to'throwv'thesame outwardly 'back intono'rmal or "released position. The Agrippingpins 1() and 1:9 are nextfwithdrawn tromxthe baseplate.apertures and the turlnace rail i2 lisp'ushed 'back into vthe furnace ffl to permit .the .tused enamel jto be vbaked jupon the rail holders- The gripping pins 10 Aand 19 'act Vas plugs orthebasefplate apertures and prevent Vany ot thel enameling powderffrom entering said apertures. 'It wil'lthus be seen tliat.whentlie rail holders have rbeen ,properly dipped and baked 'that the base plate apertures will be tree lfrom .enamel and will receive retaining screws when 'the rail holders 'are to fzbe mounted in place. VTBy usingv two'pair oifjtongs, one in each hand, an operator may lhandle four rail "holders at a time. Y

When the tonghandles' are released Strom the Eposition illustrated in Figure 'Bthe in-l ward movement ot 'themjaws 9 kis "limited by 4t-he stop shoulder "lwhich forms a part-of the intermediate lever vl12-17. (The -tong pins '1.10 and 19 are thus held apredetermined distance apart. l Y

I am aware that ,numerous details ot construction VmayY be varied through awide range without departing trom'the principles otthis invention, and I theretoredo 'not pur pose .limiting ythe 1patent granted otherwise than necessitated by themprior art.

TI claim as myinvention:V Y Y 1. A pair of tongs comprising a pair 'o pivotally connectedhandles, za jaw 4integrally formed on teachhandle, ra pin formed on veach jaw, a pivoted Vlever connected' with Y said handles, a ,plunalityv ot jaws 'formed on said lever, pins on said :lever jaws, a boltV projecting through :Said handles Vand through said Aleverggand springs on said bolt between ,saidilever and said handles.

" 2. Tongs comprising three lpivotally' mounted `clamping members disposed in sub stanti-ally the same plane, and gripping pins formed on each of said membe CII 3. Tongs comprising three pivotally vconnected clamping members, pins thereon, slidable means connecting said members beyond the pivot points thereof, and springs gn said slidable means between said memers.

1l. Tongs comprising a pair of clamping members, an intermediate clamping member, a pivot pin connecting all of said clamping members, and resilient means between said intermediate clamping member and said pair of clamping members.

5. Tongs comprising a plurality of clamping members, and gripping pins formed thereon in planes at right angles to the planes of said clamping members and having beveled intermediate portions.

6. Tongs comprising a plurality of pivotally connected main and intermedia-te clamping members, gripping pins formed at right angles on the ends thereof, means connecting said main and intermediate clamping members, and springs on said means separating said main and intermediate clamping members.

7. Tongs comprising a pair of handles,

offset portions integral therewith, jaws integral with said offset portions, a pivot pin connecting said offset portions of said handles, pins formed on the ends of said jaws, a lever engaged on said pivot pin, a stop formed on said lever for limiting the inward throw of said jaws, a pluralityy of jaws formed on said lever, pins formed thereon, a bolt slidably projecting through said handles and through said lever, and springs o-n said bolt on opposite sides of said lever for holding the handles projected against the ends of said bolt.

8. Tongs comprising a pair of spring oontrolled handles pivoted to one another, clamping j aws' on said handles, a lever pivoted to said handles, clamping jaws thereon disposed between the handle clamping jaws, and pins formed on said handle clamping jaws and on said lever clamping jaws adapted to be inserted through apertures in a plurality of articles to be simultaneously clamped and held by said tongs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST J. SMITH.

Witnesses:

FRED E. PAESLER, VJAMES M. OBRJEN. Y 

